WWII Forums Quiz Part III

Freddie Castle.

Had to be the airfiled that gives it away.

 

Superb, urqh !! I honestly didn't think anyone would get this one !

Brig-Gen Frederick Castle indeed, the 8th AFs highest-ranking Medal of Honor recipient.

You well deserve to ask the next one......

 

Id like to think I was a walking ww2 fact book, but I cant really kid anyone.

Only knew because of someone on here pointing us to a victoria cross site a few weeks ago, and linked from there to a MOH site and his last mission featured on there, one of only 2 I actually read 2 weeks ago, stuck in my mind.

OK, who was hailed as the saviour of Ceylon by Churchill, whose mission resulted in his being taken prisoner by the Japanese?

 

General Percival?

 

It was yet another Canadian, Squadron Leader Len Birchall of 413 Squadron.

Flying a Catalina, he spotted the Japanese invasion fleet and managed to radio a warning to Ceylon before being shot down. He then suffered considerably as a prisoner-of-war for the 'duration'....

 

Well that didnt last long.

Over to Martin again then.

 

The 4,000lb HC bomb ( or 'Cookie' ) was one of Bomber Command's most devastating weapons. 68,000 of them were dropped during WWII.

What type of aircraft first used them operationally - and when ?

 

Lancaster, September 7, 1943.

 

Wrong !

 

A Vickers Wellington of No 149 Squadron on the 1st April 1941, during a raid on Emden.

 

And that was not an easy one !

Congratulations, redcoat - it's all yours....

 

*bump*

'Hello redcoat..Come in redcoat...over!?'

 

Sorry folks
Moved my computer into another room, and my CPU went into a sulk

Anyway, I'm back

just a quickie today
How many Grand Slam (22,000Ib) bombs were dropped in WW2

[ 21. February 2003, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: redcoat ]

 

42 on active service, plus one at Ashley Walk ranges.

40 of those were aimed at targets, 2 were jettisoned. All were dropped by 617 squadron, and the targets were ; -

Bielefeld viaduct ( 14/3/45 ) 1 bomb
Arnsberg viaduct ( 15/3/45 ) 1 bomb
Arnsberg viaduct ( 19/3/45 ) 6 bombs
Arbergen bridge ( 21/3/45 ) 2 bombs
Nienburg bridge ( 22/3/45 ) 5 bombs
Bremen bridge ( 23/3/45 ) 5 bombs + 1 jettison
Farge U-Boat shelter ( 27/3/45 ) 12 bombs + 1 jettison
Finkenwerder U-boat shelter ( 9/4/45 ) 2 bombs
Heligoland batteries ( 19/4/45 ) 6 bombs.

 

Great work Martin-Of course He is only having a stab in the dark and is most probably way off!!!
YEAH RIGHT!!!

 

Hmmm Martin
I was hoping for a little more detail
Well done
Your turn

 

Well..I'm sure I've got the pilot's names and aircraft serials here, somewhere...

 

A 'Bulge' question : -

One of the greatest disasters for the US Forces at the beginning of the Ardennes offensive was the loss, on December 17th 1944, of the Schnee Eifel and the mass surrender to the 18th VolksGrenadier Divn.

Who was the American officer 'on the spot' whom most historians concur mishandled the situation ?

 

Mark Andrew Devine, Jr

---------------


The 106th Infantry Division, when they caught the brunt of the German Offensive on 16 December 1944:


Had been on the Continent only 15 days.

Had been in place in a "quiet" sector for orientation.

Had the youngest troops (average age - 22) of any American Division on line.

Had been in their new positions only five days.

Had no prior warning that the Germans were going to attack.

Occupied a front line that covered over three times the normal distance.

http://www.grunts.net/army/106thid.html

 

Good try, Kai - but not quite !

Col. Mark Devine commanded the 14th Cavalry Group and was based at Manderfeld..but another officer was actually on the Schnee Eifel and was responsible for the loss of that key defensive position.......